Meet Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Potential Successors

Merkel Succession Collapses as AKK to Step Down as CDU Leader

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By Patrick Donahue and Raymond Colitt

February 6, 2020 at 7:10 PM UTC

Updated on

February 20, 2020 at 8:44 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the February 17, 2020 issue of businessweek.

The question of who might take over from German Chancellor Angela Merkel is back on the agenda after her heir apparent, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, announced her resignation as leader of the Christian Democratic Union. With Merkel making clear she would not serve beyond her fourth term, the race to succeed her is wide open and more complicated than ever.

Here’s a glimpse at the top candidates.